


Don't Scare Me II

by Squid_Ink



Series: The Eagle and the Cross [30]
Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Aveline yells at Connor in French, Confessions, F/M, First Kisses, Fluff, Gators, I'm pleased with this, Suspense, don't wrestle gators in the water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-07 02:31:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6781777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squid_Ink/pseuds/Squid_Ink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Worried about her, since Aveline hasn't been answer the letters he sends her, Connor journeys down to New Orleans to speak to Aveline. He meets up with her in the bayou, where he has a heart-stopping encounter with an alligator.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Scare Me II

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



The heat beneath the cypresses covered the landscape like a thick wet blanket. Connor was already sweating through his clothes; beads of sweat trickled down his face. He didn't understand how Aveline could tolerate such heat. The summers back home were hot and sweltering, but… nothing like this. This… this was suffocating. This was hell. "How can you stand this?" he asked, following her through the branches of the trees.

"How can you stand that _Dieu terrible_ cold!" Aveline shot back. "I thought I would never be warm again!"

"It is not that bad," Connor grumbled. He didn't mind the New England winters so much. He remembered when he was a boy, building snowmen with his friends. He built one with his mother once, pretending the snowman was his father. His mother had laughed, went into the longhouse and came back with a blue-grey tricorn hat with gold edging. She had plopped it on the snowman's head and said that it was now his father. He had played until dark with that snowman, and wore the tricorn hat back home. It was lost in the fire. "If you come up during the winter, Aveline, I will show you that the snow can be fun," Connor said. "There are plenty of ways to stay warm during the winter."

Aveline chuckled. "I'm sure there are _mon amour_ ," Aveline shot a glance over her shoulder at him before leaping to another branch. "How else would one past those long cold winter nights?"

"By sleeping," Connor said, bluntly. He leapt grabbed a branch, swung and landed on the next one on the other side of the pool of water. He glanced down, noticing a golden eye, before it vanished into the murky depths of the bayou. Aveline laughed out loud.

"So, what brings you down to Louisiana?" she asked, resting on a wide branch. Connor joined her.

"You did not answer my letters," he said, "I got worried."

"Aaw, _mon cher, vous_ _ê_ _tes si doux!_ " Aveline cooed, placing a hand over her heart. "Your concern is so touching, Connor." She cupped his face before pulling her hand away. "I've been busy, that's all. No time to write."

"What are we doing in the bayou?" Connor asked. Aveline pointed.

"You see that man over there? His name is Pierre de Sauveterre," Aveline said, "he's a Templar and has been stirring up trouble within the bayou."

"And it took you this long to find him?" Connor asked, unimpressed with Aveline's lack of ability to deal with one Templar.

" _Mon Dieu, tu es incroyable!_ Do you have _any_ idea how large the bayou is? You can effectively hide an entire army within these swamps. It's taken me much longer than I would have liked just to locate him."

"So," Connor began, "how do you plan to eliminate him?"

"I don't know yet," Aveline muttered. "He helps runaway slaves, but instead he sends them back to their masters." Aveline spat, muttering a curse in French. "I would like to pose as a slave and slip in with the other escapees and kill him that way, but… it'll be difficult."

"Why not just swim to the island he is on," Connor said, eyeing the pale brown-green water. "He would never suspect it."

Aveline laughed. "Connor, you truly know nothing of the bayou," Aveline said, "there are alligators in these waters and swimming could lure them to you. It's too dangerous to swim."

"I see no alligators, Aveline," Connor said, before standing up. "I will eliminate Pierre de Sauveterre." He looked at her, determination etched onto his face. "I am a strong swimmer," he added before diving into the water.

"Wait, Connor!" Aveline shouted, but it was too late. He made hardly a splash and swam towards the island Pierre was on. Aveline chewed her lip nervously before following him through the tree tops. She had to admit he was a strong swimmer, and she had trouble keeping up with him. The island wasn't far and within a few moments, Connor had found himself a nice hiding spot among some cat-o'-nine-tails and other water plants.

Aveline held her breath, watching to see what Connor would do. She never saw him actually kill before, but she had heard the stories from the United States. The man seemed to have no fear, immunity to pain, and was savagely brutal in combat, lacking the finesse of tutored combat. Raw and primal, she heard it described. Yet, one can tell a lot about an assassin on how they executed their stealth kills.

She heard Connor whistle from his hiding spot, and so did Pierre. The Templar muttered a curse and walked towards the cat-o'-nine-tails. "If there is nothing here…" he muttered to himself, wading into the muck. Aveline flicked her hidden blade out, wondering if Connor had lured Pierre here, guessing she would follow him, and thus allowing her to make her kill.

She retraced her hidden blade when she saw a flash of white move. Connor struck sure and swift. One blade going into Pierre's side and the other through his throat as Connor fell upon him, dragging him into the muck. Pierre never realized he was dead. Aveline saw Connor swim away from the island, and she headed back to where they had been speaking a few minutes before.

She beat him there, pushing herself through the trees. She landed on the soggy ground, frogs croaking in the distance. Connor popped up a few feet from shore. "Aveline, where are the—"

"Connor get out of the water!" Aveline screamed, spying a tell-tale ripple in the water. A gator had come, probably lured by Pierre's corpse. Connor was easy prey for the large reptile. " _Vite vite!_ " Aveline yelled, standing on the edge, her ankles submerged. Connor frowned and began to swim, but with none of the urgency she was hoping. He didn't see the gator; he didn't know the danger he was in. Aveline had heard from Agaté how men have died from swimming in the gator infested waters. "Connor, hurry!" Aveline screamed. He was almost to her, almost close enough that she could risk wading out further and grab his hand.

He vanished beneath the murky surface of the water.

" _Connor!_ " Aveline screamed, a note of panic in her voice. She stared at the spot he had vanished, her heart pounding in her throat. She shifted, inching further into the water. There was no way for her to help him, she'd be useless in the water, as good as dead if another gator happens to come by. Tears pricked her eyes, and Aveline furiously wiped them away.

She didn't want to lose Connor. He was a good man, a brilliant assassin, fiercely loyal, honorable, honest and extremely blunt. There was a darkness to him, the crucible of the Revolutionary War had left its mark and his naïveté had morphed into a bitter cynicism, yet despite it all, Connor still clung to hope that there is still some good left in the world.

A red stain blossomed upon the surface of the water. Aveline felt her heart leap into her throat, she refused to believe Connor was dead.

He broke the surface suddenly, gasping loudly for breath, the gator thrashing beneath him in a violent effort to dislodge Connor. "Aveline—" Connor managed before the gator began to spin into its death roll.

"Connor!" Aveline cried, watching more blood appear on the surface of the water. Moments ticked by; each passing second Aveline feared for Connor's life. She was about to swim out when the gator's limp body suddenly floated to the surface, wounds oozing blood. She heard a great gasp and splashes. Connor broke the surface again, slapping the water before swimming to the shore.

He flopped onto the soggy ground, groaning. Aveline rushed to him, noting the bite wound on his leg. "Aveline," Connor said, pushing himself into a sitting position, "I'm sorry I—"

Aveline kissed him, silencing him. It was a kiss filled with concern, passion, fear, anger, love. Aveline was surprised how soft his lips were and how willingly he returned it, despite it being completely unexpected. She pulled away, staring into his amber eyes, his dark hair dripping water; his hood had fallen off in his battle with the gator. "Connor… _t'es en colère? Vous auriez pu morts! Que pensiez-vous que la lutte alligator! Vous grosse bête folle ... Je pensais que je perdais toi ... Dieu merci, vous êtes bien… Dieu merci... Dieu merci… Dieu merci_ ," Aveline muttered, holding him tightly.

Connor held her, hand running up and down her back. "I have fought bears, cougars and wolves before Aveline," Connor said.

"That's not the point!" Aveline shot back, pulling away to stare at him. "I… I love you, Ratonhnhaké:ton!" Aveline whispered. "I felt so weak… so helpless… I couldn't help you and that… was more terrifying than anything I have ever faced before, that sense of helplessness."

"Aveline," Connor whispered, brushing her cheek with his knuckles. "I am sorry I worried you," he whispered. "I will not do it again. At least… I will not try to wrestle alligators again." Connor chuckled softly and pulled her into his embrace.

" _Je vous remercie_ ," Aveline whispered, snuggling against Connor's chest, enjoying the sound of his heartbeat. It last for a moment before Connor pulled her away to stare at her.

"Wait… you love me?" he asked, sounding unsure, hopeful and confused all at once.

" _Oui_ ," she replied, a smile on her lips. He kissed her this time, long, slow and tender. She moaned just a little bit.

**Author's Note:**

> Assassin's Creed (c) Ubisoft
> 
> Eeeeh? Not exactly what I wanted. I had too many distractions last night to finish but, overall I'm pleased with it.
> 
> For the big drop of French, just submit it through Google Translate. But the gist of it basically Aveline is tell Connor he's a big dummy for taking on a gator and she's thanking god he's alright.
> 
> Save an author; leave a review.


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